With synagogue affiliation no longer a foregone conclusion for the non-Orthodox, the rabbi is eager to do whatever she can to entice people to First Hebrew.

“We want to be more flexible and allow more kinds of people to feel comfortable here,” she said. “There are people who don’t necessarily want a religious experience, but are interested in intellectual, social and social-action involvement.”

One of Rabbi Bogatz’s initiatives, which is already under way in the few weeks since she’s arrived in Peekskill, is meeting people, especially the non-affiliated, outside the synagogue building, at neutral places like the Hudson Valley Community Center of the Arts. She’d like to see First Hebrew Congregation develop as a “92nd Street Y of the north, providing intellectual opportunities” for those in the area.

Another program that the rabbi has successfully brought to Connecticut, the provocatively called “Death Café,” is a discussion group that offers an “open and non-judgmental opportunity for people to learn, discuss and plan” for death.

And Rabbi Bogatz is exploring some kind of non-member affiliation that will enable “people who were here when they needed to be members — for their kids and Hebrew school — and have left, but feel like they want to support the Jewish community,” she said.

The rabbinate wasn’t her first career choice.

Raised in Meriden, Conn., where her family always had Shabbat dinner and went to services Friday night, Bogatz went to the University of Connecticut to study agriculture, specifically agricultural economics and rural sociology (she is still a dedicated equestrian who takes to the trails whenever possible, and she and her husband have two dogs). At college, Bogatz needed extra credits, so took Hebrew, which led to other Judaic courses. Although she started her working life in agribusiness (including a stint as a wholesale florist), Bogatz’s involvement with a chavurah, “renewed the idea of Judaism as a practice” for her, and in turn led to a chavurah summer institute. Initially focused on becoming a community organizer in the Jewish community, Bogatz ultimately was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

She’s thrilled that First Hebrew Congregation offers professional support in the synagogue, personal support in the community and “a tremendous volunteer corps.”

The reality, the rabbi said, is that “we want everyone’s Jewish past to be honored. There are those who come for shul, for education, for social activities, and for social action. There’s no judgment.”

By signing up, you agree to our
terms
You hereby accept the Jewish Week Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, and you agree to receive the latest news & offers from the Jewish Week and its partners or ad sponsors.